(Early Authors Note: Hello everyone! I have returned at last! Took some time off due to family matters along with the fact that I've been working on my other Tales, but nevertheless, on with the Tale!)

Six days.

It's been six days since Skuli Longshanks was taken by Azur Lane and neither Red Axis nor the pirates have made an attempt at retrieving him. Of course, both factions have been dealing with pressing matters closer to home.

The Skeletons have become far more aggressive than usual and seem to be keeping the living pirates from joining up.

Red Axis on the other hand, are dealing with both Captain Ghouls ships and the living pirates that keep coming from the (now permanent after constant use) rift in the Shroud.

In other words, neither side had the time, extra manpower, (or anything really) to get the young captain.

Of course that didn't stop characters like Jacob and Akagi from gathering what people they could gather for the cause.

For Akagi, she had a bit more of a problem, since Nagato refused the idea of rescuing the pirate, captain or not. Akagi wasn't one to disobey Nagato lightly (far from it) but she is one to take matters into her own hands. How that's interpreted is up to everyone else.

Atago, Takao, Zuikaku, Shuikaku, and Ayanami were willing to join her, as was Kaga (unsurprisingly).

When all was made ready, she set out for the Azur Lane base. However, the other ships were unsure if they could even convince him now. He's been with Azur Lane for six days after all. They, and even Akagi, were starting to have doubts, but they pushed through it all the same.

As for Jacob, he had a bit of an easier time.

A bit.

Esme, Sammy, Jason, Hal, Yohan, and Bill all joined up, but Jacob still felt they didn't have sufficient numbers. After all, (even though Skuli won't admit it,) the rest of the crew knows they only pulled off their very first raid on that shipgirl base because of luck, and sheer surprise and unexpectedness. They won't have those favors again.

Nonetheless, Jacob gathered all who would come and (being rather impatient when his captain was in any sort of danger) gave the order to head out and save their captain.

But, there was another reason why both sides pushed to get Skuli. See, both had their little spies, and both found out that Skuli, during his time there, dug.

He just dug and dug and dug everywhere.

Until he found it.

To Red Axis, they were told it just looked like an old ornate chest. Until they realized what it was (after interrogating one of Ghouls' smarter skeletons).

To the pirates, they knew it at the mere mention. It was the Chest of Lost Time.

Whoever had that chest could, one way or another, control the flow of time. Speed it up, slow it down, fast forward it, rewind it, they could do it all. The race was really on now.

However, as with all legendary objects, they got its description a little wrong. It can do all those things, but the clock it has right above its lock causes them to happen at complete random. It might stop time, and instead of resuming it when the clock ticks down again, it might just fast forward instead.

The trick to it, is getting accustomed to the different chimes the clock has when ringing to the different 'time control moments'.

Skuli however, was just fine. Though the clothes he had to wear were still stuffy and uncomfortable. And he had the chest he spent so long looking for. He also made sure to keep it in a little hidden cave, so nothing happens.

During his stay at the Azur Lane base, he started to grow a fondness for the shipgirls. But he never felt the 'friend' kind, just the 'associates' kind.

Besides, he was still a pirate through and through, and he'll come back and take all these new seas for his own. Though, that doesn't mean he was a wild pirate during his whole stay. He helped out with a thing here or there, even sang to Yorktown (when asked to by Enterprise, who was asked by Yorktown. Though, Enterprise always looked… salty... when asking).

It was on one particular 'singing appointment' that Skuli said "Hey, Yorktown. Why exactly are you in your bed most of the time?"

To which Yorktown answered "I was disabled. And, well, I couldn't be fixed. So now here I am, stuck in this bed most of my time, staring at the window."

Though he was never in Yorktown's plight before, he had an old friend who was (albeit not Yorktowns version of 'disabled'), and is now at the bottom of the sea because of it. So he said something even he wasn't expecting.

"Y'know… if it's not too much trouble… I-I could try and fix you."

Now, Skuli had no expertise in building, repairing, fixing, or anything else of that sort whatsoever.

But no one needed to know that.

Yorktown was already tearing up and saying "Thank you!" over and over. So much so that Enterprise burst in and asked what's wrong, but after being told what happened was equally suspicious and joyful all at once.

How did this pirate know how to fix a shipgirl that couldn't be fixed before?

On the day of 'The-Highly-Likely-to-Fail-Repair' that many shipgirls called it, Yorktown was rolled onto the dock, and after some effort, brought out her ship.

And boy, did it look like a wreck.

A massive hole was on the right side and the whole ship looked cracked and just ruined. Skuli sighed a great sigh and with the tools he was given by Vestal, the base's repair ship, he went inside.

It was hot, and it was dark, it was also weird.

He's technically inside a shipgirl, if you think about it.

But, he had a job to do. He at last found what he believed to be the problem, some giant metal barrels filled with the stuff they use to power the ship. A couple were bent, but still operable, while one had its pipe broken and bent out of place. He had his work cut out for him, that's for sure.

So, what did he do?

He just hit everything with a long hammer.

How he did it, was he stuck the hammer inside the things, and hit the dents, ino order to straighten them out. For the broken pipe, he grabbed some super glue and glued it back on. Good thing he had a suit on or else he would've gotten burned multiple times.

When he went back out to look at the massive hole, he called for a big slab of metal, cut it to fit the hole, and superglued that as well, for extra measure he put tape on it as well. He also did that for the pipe.

As for the cracks, he just put super tape over them in the hopes they might be pulled back together.

In the end, every shipgirl in the base was astounded and were even more so when Yorktown actually stood (and on her own no less).

Enterprise and Hornet were the most grateful. They went and asked how he, a pirate, was able to do it.

"Oh. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I'm surprised it worked at all, really."

At that, every ship just facepalmed. Yorktown, though, just went over and gave him a (rather soft and pillowy) hug, much to Skuli's embarrassment.

However, it didn't last long for a great bomb nearly destroyed Yorktowns ship. Everyone turned and saw Red Axis. Why were they here though? As if that wasn't bad enough, a pirate fleet appeared from the sides. While the ships of Azur Lane (and if any had looked long, hard, and good enough, the Red Axis shipgirls) had both surprised and dark looks on their faces, Skuli's lit up like a bonfire.

He wasted no time in trying to get his crew's attention.

But Azur Lane wouldn't let go of him yet. He still never told them any information after all.

Things were not going according to Jacobs plan.

First, they were waylaid by Ghoul and his cronies. Then, they came across some Siren ships. And now, they arrive late, with Red Axis coming into the fray.

Time just was not on their side, was it?

As for Akagi, she couldn't be more agitated.

A pirate fleet attacks from nowhere, and Yorktown is back in action?

How!?

It can't matter now, they have the surprise attack in motion and nothing will stand in their way. Shoukaku and Zuikaku would hold off the pirates while Atago, Takao, and Ayanami would deal with Azur lane. Kaga and Akagi would get the pirate.

As Skuli continued his waving and cheering, he remembered he needed to get the Chest, so he ran like the wind to find it. Kaga saw this and after telling Akagi, the two went off after him.

Jacob, noticing as well, yelled for everyone to follow him and attack.

The second battle of the Azur Lane base was more hectic than the last.

Red Axis was outnumbered, and knew it. All they had to do was hold on long enough for Akagi and Kaga to return. Ayanami once again came across Laffey, Javelin, and Unicorn. Though they extended a hand of friendship, Ayanami again refused it and attacked.

Luckily, Prince Eugen and Z23 came and aided them at last. So, they held their ground firmly.

Azur Lane was a little on the back foot as well.

The pirates were really less concerned with them or Red Axis and were just flooding the base.

For the second time!

It was clear they were looking for Skuli, but where was he?

Actually, he went to look for the cave he hid the Chest in. However, having two fox ladies right behind him made it difficult to look well enough where.

He managed to hide behind a rock, dive into a nearby bush, and sneak his way back to where he believed the cave was. Sure enough, he found it.

"Oh. Hello there, Dear Captain."

But, of course, he was immediately found out.

He quickly turned (Chest in arms) to face Akagi and Kaga. The one with long black hair said "No need to fear, Dear Captain. We're here to rescue you. I am Aircraft Carrier Akagi." She then pointed to the one with short white hair.

"And this is my sister, Aircraft Carrier Kaga."

Skuli was already on edge. "What do you want? And if you're here to rescue me, then why were you fighting my crew? From the looks of it, you weren't here for the same reason."

He then heard the ticking of the clock on the chest, went wide-eyed, and tried to throw it away, but too late. He froze in time, as still and stiff as a statue.

Akagi and Kaga were surprised for sure. But they took this golden opportunity gladly. Akagi picked him up, and the two were off.

Back with the battle, Akagi called the retreat even while Jacob was screaming for them to come back. In the end, he too called the retreat.

The Red Axis had won.

(Ending Authors Note: Well here we are! Skuli has once again been taken, but this time with a great power within his hands. Will he be able to keep it from Red Axis (let alone Wolgast)? Anyways, if any of you are wondering why Skuli was able to fix Yorktown the way he did, its because

1. its fanfiction

2. it just felt like a simple way of doing it, besides I wanted it to be cartoony of sorts

and 3. I looked up Yorktowns (the actual real ship, mind you) damage, and it mentioned a hole in the side, along with broken boilers.

That aside, I hope you enjoyed so don't forget to review follow and favorite and I'll see ya next time!)